Retirement: One Week

Friday, March 1, 2019

No…we are not on the road.  This posting is strictly to show what retirement can be like in Florida.  This post is long because it encompasses one typical week in the life of two septuagenarians. 

 

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Al and I, along with our friend Penny, made a rather quick decision to attend the Gem and Mineral Society Artisan Show held in The Villages.  The Villages has grown so large and the show was being held so far to the south of that community, that it took us a full hour to drive there.  The show was much larger than we had expected: it filled five very full rooms at the SeaBreeze Recreation Center.  There was no entry fee.  The first room we entered held various lapidary equipment: a rock tumbler; high definition digital microscope; slab saw; rock polisher and something with on/off water valves on some kind of grinder/polisher.  These heavy duty pieces of equipment add up to several thousands of dollars.  The ones here looked well used and loved.  Several were being demonstrated and questions were encouraged.  It was very interesting.  One man was working with a piece of quartz on one of the grinding machines, following directions he had retrieved from the internet.  The directions told him how to cut the quartz to look like a beautifully cut diamond.  The quartz piece was held in place by a vice to keep the cut precise.  It looked like a lot of work but the man doing it seemed to be enjoying every minute.

The other rooms held jewelry items, semi-precious stones, glass fusion, fossils, rough slabs, pottery, etc.   I particularly liked the opals and larimar.  Larimar, also called “Stefilia’s Stone”, is a rare blue variety of the silicate mineral pectolite found only in the Dominican Republic. Its coloration varies from white, light-blue, green-blue to deep blue.  It is one of the rarest gemstones on earth.  It is volcanic pectolite and although pectolite is found in every hemisphere on earth, it is normally gray or white.  It is mind-bending to realize that a random series of volcanic and atmospheric events that occurred millions of years ago caused this pectolite to become the lovely blue we know as larimar.  It comes in several shades and sometimes includes traces of copper.  The one piece of jewelry I was attracted to was a silver salamander-shaped pendant with larimar stones.  It was reasonably priced, but I am at the age where I am trying to unburden myself of unnecessary items, not the least of which is jewelry.

We spent a couple of hours oohing and aahing over all the lovely items: original beaded jewelry and loose beads for stringing; spools of gold and silver jewelry wires for wrapping stones; chains of every length and different sorts of clasps; pieces of rocks and gemstones of every size from small slivers and pebbles to large rocks.  We enjoyed talking to venders, all of whom seemed to relish talking about their wares.  These are people who love their work and are not into it just to make a buck.  Whether you want to pick it, shape it, cut it, polish it, set it, string it, sell it or just plain wear it, everything you ever wanted to know about creating jewelry was here.  One vendor told us she had just arrived from Tuscon, Arizona, where she had been to the largest gem and stone show in the country.

It was getting very crowded.  Fortunately, there were several seating arrangements in the entrance room to sit on when we felt it necessary.  At one point my glasses disappeared and while I was looking for them, an announcement was made that found eye glasses were at the raffle table.  I retrieved them, but then lost Al.  The people at the table asked me what he looked like and I said he was wearing shorts and had gray hair.  We all laughed because just about every man in the place fit that description. 

The three of us left without buying anything, but we all thought it was a really interesting time.  The weather was warm but threatening rain.  The Villages is divided into several sections, each with a different community name.  We were in or near the latest section, Brownwood, which was built to be reminiscent of an early 19th century Florida cattle town.  Penny had not seen the Brownwood Paddock Square before, so we drove through that area.  We stopped for lunch at a chain restaurant we have eaten at before, but today it was so-so, with slow service and over-priced food.  We have learned the hard way that not all restaurants in the same chain are consistent.  Oh well..it was just one meal out of our lives.

 

Monday, February 25, 2019

We took it easy and did various household chores that every household has to do. 

 

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Our friend, Helen, had eye surgery this morning and we drove her there.  The doctor would not perform the surgery unless a “responsible adult” waits at the clinic the whole time.  Between us, Al and I consider ourselves a responsible adult.  This is the second time we have done this for her, but it is certainly not unusual.  All our neighbors take good care of each other.  If we could not have driven her, she would not have had trouble finding another driver.  This is the kind of community we live in. 

Al’s sister-in-law once said that living here in OTOW is like living in a resort.  We have just about everything you could possibly be interested in: four swimming pools, one indoor; hiking; biking; tennis; shuffleboard; miniature golf; pickleball and many, many more organized activities.  The groups and clubs seem endless: sewing, knitting, any kind of handiwork; several cooking and dining groups; at least three trivia groups that I know of; mahjong; cards; scrabble; Italian American club; Polish American club; Michigan club; Mid-West Heartland club; Jewish club; Scandinavian club; Pennsylvania club; toastmasters; favorite recipes; fitness and on and on and on.  The Billiards club has grown to 150 members so management recently built additional meeting rooms and furnished one room with eight 9’ tables, three 8’ tables and a snooker table. 

There are travel groups that go all over the world or by bus to Florida movies, theater or theme parks.  There are Veterans clubs; Democratic club; Republican club; Bunco; genealogy; remote-controlled airplanes; remote-controlled cars; bowling; at least two singles groups; ballroom dancing; line dancing; and if we don’t have a club for your interest, OTOW will give you a room to meet to do whatever is your bent.  If you are bored here, it is your fault.  I won’t even go into all the odd-ball and interesting classes offered for $5 each.  Believe it or not, I have probably forgotten twice as many clubs than I just listed.

We also are just a few miles from a college, symphony, civic theater and more than one event center.  By our back gate is the Circle Square Cultural Center which hosts among other things, several tribute groups such as Journey, Tina Turner, Diamonds, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Temptations, etc.  Not long ago we saw the tribute group for the Credence Clearwater Revival at the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala and it was wonderful.  A few weeks ago we learned that the Reilly Center will host a night with Moe Bandy.  WOW!  We bought tickets immediately.

 

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Do YOU remember Moe Bandy?  It surprises me that so many people have forgotten.  Moe Bandy was a country music singer most popular in the 1970s. 

He and his brother started out as rodeo riders in both bronco-busting and bull riding.  Still in his teens, he “tired of the bruises and fractured bones”, and started singing in beer joints and honky-tonks, with a day job as a sheet metal worker.  By the early 1970s he hit the charts singing real old-time country music.  He had a big hit with Janie Fricke with “It’s a Cheating Situation”, and had a number 1 hit with “I Cheated Me Right out of You”.    Even if you are not really into country music, I bet you would recognize these songs if you heard them.  He has made many appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.  One of my favorites is, “Till I’m Too Old to Die Young” (1987). 

Bandy’s song “Americana” (1988), caught the ear of then presidential candidate George Bush and the song became Bush’s campaign theme song.  Bandy played the song at Bush’s Presidential Inauguration, as well as performing in the White

 House a few times.  This is why I believe just about everyone in the country has at least heard “Americana”.  Bandy also enjoyed playing golf with the president. 

Fast forward to 1994.  Al and I vacationed in Branson, Missouri, at a time-share.  (We had not yet bought the Roo.)  Branson was a fairly new country music destination at that time and we were newbies in the country music scene.

Al and I are both New Englanders, born and bred.  I can honestly say that I was in my teens when I first heard country music.  The only music I had ever heard prior to that time was classical and the Boston Pops.  I was raised by parents who believed that certain music was only socially  “acceptable” to certain classes, and that was all the only music I should ever listen to.  They did not consider rock-and-roll or country to actually be music.  I clearly remember baby-sitting one night, turning on the TV and seeing the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.  The TV was black-and-white of course, and the singer, a man,  (I WISH I knew who it was) stood stone-still, fancy shirt, big hat, old ratty guitar, singing from his soul.    

Don’t laugh…I felt like I had to rewire my brain to understand what I was listening to.  The winds were not trying to catch up to the reeds, which were way ahead of the strings trying to out-do the percussions.  I only heard words, feelings, hearts, love, hate.  Strings, chords vibrating emotions, raw emotions…..all of which were not evident in the music I was raised with. 

During our 1994 trip to Branson, we had the pleasure to see Moe Bandy perform in his theater.  We enjoyed the show immensely.  We loved everything about it – hokey jokes, down-home humor and clean fun.  I had fallen in love with Moe Bandy’s style of music.  In my opinion, his music stands out as pure country.

I had recently become disabled with some mobility issues.  All the theaters in Branson were very sensitive to disability issues and were very kind in this area.  But I had asked for no special treatment.  However, when the show was over, we decided to wait until the theater emptied out before making our way out.  The show ended, curtains closed, lights dimmed and the audience slowly walked to the exits.  We waited a bit to avoid the crowd.  When we stood up and walked between the seats to the aisle, the door next to the stage opened and Moe Bandy and his band came out and started walking up towards the front of the theater, to an area where they would sign autographs.   I suddenly found myself face-to-face with the man himself.  Moe Bandy seized the moment, put his arm around me and Al took a picture. 

This year, as strange as it seems, when we bought the tickets to see his show, I called the Reilly Center and the local newspaper entertainment editor and ended up talking to Bandy’s promoter.  We were told to get to the center an hour early and we would be escorted to the band’s motorhome.  We did.  Twenty-five years later, Moe met us and signed that 1994 picture and talked to us for a while. 

The show started off slow but built up to the intermission.  I’m sorry to say the 700-seat venue was only about half full.  Perhaps because of his and our ages, we may have outlived a lot of his fans.  But the fans who came were enthusiastic to say the least.  The second half of the show built up momentum and excitement in the audience.  It ended –  of course – with recognition of veterans and their spouses and “Americana”, with all the audience singing along.  We enjoyed every minute of it.  I am printing the lyrics to “Americana” because they are very special to us.  You’ll understand why that is so if you have been reading this blog for a while about all our travels around this wonderful country through so many small towns.  And it addresses our dislike for Interstate highways. 

I’ve traveled all around this country
In my time I thought I’d seen it all
But today I took a detour down a back road
Through a little town whose name I can’t recall

There were old men on benches playing checkers
Children playing hop scotch on the square
And high above a statue of an unknown soldier
Old glory was waving in the air

Suddenly I realized what I’d too long forgotten
Chill rose up like mountains on my skin
Overcome with a feeling
I knew I was seeing
America all over again

Americana
Picture of a people proud and free
Americana
And I’ll keep holding to the dream
You’re still what living means to me

I knew the stop would throw me off my schedule
But I parked around behind the Five and Dime
There’s something about a small town in the Summer
Like a Norman Rockwell picture back in time

Kids were courting at the Rexall soda fountain
Like we did before they built the shopping mall
I saw so many reasons why I love this country
You know some things never really change at all

As I left the two-lane road
And pulled back on that super high way
I thought of what I’d seen back in that town
And it hit me like a freight train
That a stone’s throw from the fast lane
America is still safe and sound

 

Thursday, February 28, 2019

These were typical retiree days.  Al had a doctor’s appointment and Spectrum came to our house to try to get our kitchen TV to agree with the den TV.  The tech knew what he was doing, did his voodoo and now the two TVs actually play the same shows at the same times. 

 

Friday, March 1, 2019

Ocala’s First Friday Art Walk takes place the first Friday of each month, September through May from 6 to 9 p.m.  We have attended a few times in the past but we were not impressed.  Today, however, was very different.  The weather was ideal and we found a parking spot not far from the town square.  Music was live in the gazebo and several canopies were set up on the square.  Kids of different ages sat at long tables doing some kind of arts and crafts that we could not quite make out.  These activities were provided by several local sponsors, including the Appleton Museum of Art; the Discovery Center; Marion County Public Library; the Art Army of Ocala and others.  There was no charge.

There were more than 30 artists – some good, some wonderful and some funky.  There was jewelry of course, but a lot more.  There was a canopy over the Ocala Calligraphy Group, who are trying to bring the art back.  At the Ocala Public Library’s table, they were giving away large calendars with wonderful pictures of Southern foods and included the recipes.  The Key Lime and Blueberry Pie recipe really caught my eye. 

There were some absolutely beautiful wood carvings and turned wood.   All the restaurants in the Square and most of the stores were open.  Although we have been in olive oil shops before, this was the first time we had been to the Olive Oil Market in downtown Ocala.  This store seemed to have a wider variety of flavored olive oils and vinegars than we had seen before.  They also offered free tastings with a tomato salad, cheese and crackers,  brownies and bread, all treated with olive oil.  The brownies were exceptionally good and had been made with Blood Orange Olive Oil.  The clerk/owner told me the recipe and I plan on making a batch of those brownies.  In fact, I bought a bottle big enough to make several batches.  The brownies had a slight orangey taste that was wonderful.  We also bought Tangerine White Balsamic Vinegar we think will add a lot to salads.  We have experimented before with Black Cherry, Pomegranate and Blueberry vinegars.  They were all very good. 

We both needed to sit but all the seats were taken except at the one “odd-ball” location.  I call it odd-ball because it always amazes me that such a place exists in among all the upscale shops and restaurants in downtown Ocala.  It is a dive bar, plain and simple.  The name is O’Malley’s Alley and, literally, was originally built in the narrow alley between two buildings.  Long bar, cheap drinks and an over abundance of smoke.  Ironically, it shares a wall with one of the highest end restaurants in town, Mark’s Prime.  Go figure…

We sat on one of the picnic bench-like seats affixed to the blacktop “patio”.  We felt guilty sitting there without buying anything so Al went inside to the bar to order something to drink.  The bartender didn’t know if she had any wine but offered to look in the cooler to see if there was any wine in there.  While he waited, Al is convinced that the scantily-clad woman who asked him to light her cigarette was a hooker.  At least the wine the bartender found was cold and unopened so it was drinkable (screw top), but there were no wine glasses.  Al came outside carrying two beer glasses, beer in one and wine in the other.  Each time the door opened we were enveloped in a fog of cigarette smoke.  We didn’t stay long.

There were more art tables set up on side streets and we heard the soulful voice of Miranda Madison floating out through the open door of yet another café.  A woman was selling pieces of flat metal in the shape of horses, painted and the legs bent to make it stand.  A young couple sat smiling as a young man busily scratched out their picture with a piece of charcoal on canvas.  A young woman sat beside some fanciful paintings of imaginary creatures.  Beside her was a very large painting of a frightening face in blacks and reds.  At the same time Al said “She is scary”, and I said “I don’t want to see inside her head”.

The weather was beautiful and everyone seemed to be in a good mood.  It was a total mix of people, races, cultures, dress, music and ages.  It was a very pleasant evening.

 

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Weekends around here offer so many things to do that one has to pick-and-choose carefully.  We had been seriously considering the Ocala Strawberry Festival which is supposed to be very large, well attended and delicious.  There will be vendors and local restaurant representatives galore, but we had seen a small paragraph in a local newspaper and decided on something else entirely.

There would be a special talk by a retired Florida Game Warden at the Fort McCoy Public Library today at 1:00 p.m.  Captain Wayne King wrote the book, “From Cowboy to Game Warden”.  That’s all it took for us to decide how to spend our day.  First, we had to find out where Fort McCoy is and how to get there.  We live in southwest Ocala and Fort McCoy is northeast of Ocala.  We gave ourselves a lot of extra time, knowing we would have to drive directly through the center of town and pass several traffic lights.  We drove east, passed Silver Springs Sate Park, formerly known as the Silver River State Park, and soon there was just forest on both sides of the road.  We then turned north on Hwy 315.  We had never been this way before.  A 26-acre farm is for sale and we passed a sign for the VFW Veterans Village,

 a private independent living facility owned outright and operated by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Florida.  It is not subsidized by any governmental, federal, state or local agencies.  To my knowledge, it is the only facility of its kind in the world.

We came to a crossroads and saw the library we were looking for.  We had made better time than we had thought we would, so we wandered around the Ft. McCoy Hardware store.  Al asked if there was a center of town and was told no, this is it, and, ”You don’t want to see the rest.”  This hardware store had just about everything for hunting, fishing, building or repairing: shiners and minnows; guns and ammo; bows and arrows; everything fishing; camouflage “bunwarmers”; lumber; plumbing supplies; tools for just about any kind of job and, in a long metal trough, dozens of tiny baby chicks, $3.50 each.

The library has a very familiar look.  The brick building was built as a school in 1936 with a wide hallway through the middle, classrooms on each side and opening to an auditorium in the back.  I guess the plans for these schools were pretty universal at that time.  People were arriving a few at a time.  I estimated about thirty chairs had been set up and although they were not all filled and some people sat at the back of the room.  I doubt there were more than about 35 people there.  No way would 100 people fit in this “auditorium”. 

Captain Wayne King looks like any gray-bearded, old man wearing well-worn western boots and jeans.  He shuffled up to the front of the room and picked up the mike.  With his slow southern drawl, a few mumbles, bad acoustics and an ancient (borrowed) amp system, he was not easy for us to understand.  We both had to listen intently and still missed as much as 30% of what he said.  But, BOY, was he interesting.  He was raised by his grandmother and never had a daddy.  By the age of twelve he was doing some cow hunting on horseback. 

When the Spanish left Florida, they left behind a lot of cattle that had multiplied and were totally wild.  They were NOT the docile animals of today.  Cow hunters had to hunt through the woods to find them and if a cow saw them first, it would run the other way.  They used bull whips, cracking them over the animals’ heads to herd them.  Thus…the nickname Florida cracker. 

He rode bulls and broncos at 16, married his high school sweetheart and at 18-years-old joined the U.S. Air Force and trained as a jet mechanic during the Viet Nam war.  He became a Game Warden and worked his way up to ultimately supervise an area from St. Augustine to Cape Canaveral and back to Marion County.  He spoke for about 45 minutes and you could hear a pin drop in the room.  He told of his adventures in the air, on the water and over land.  His tales were funny, but many were dangerous.  Chasing bad guys in the dark without backup or speeding down a river to catch illegal poachers is not for the faint of heart.  He had his life threatened more than once.  In fact, he dedicated his book to the seventeen game wardens who had died in the line of duty.  The cause of death for five of them was gunfire.

When he finished, he walked back to one of the former classrooms and sat at a table to autograph the book he had written.  The book, “From Cowboy to Game Warden”, is filled with what he swears are true stories of events that occurred during his working years.  The book was $15, with $2 of that going to the Friends of Fort McCoy Public Library, who sponsored his talk and for whom they borrowed the microphone and amplifier.  We learned that the Friends have just recently received a grant for $7,000 to purchase and install new audio/visual equipment in the library.  Good for them.

Driving home, we both said that words will not convey to you just what we heard or what we felt listening to Captain King today.  You had to be there. 

Thus ends a typical week of two Florida retirees.